About the Book

It's been more than 50 years since the political revolution that changed an entire way of life for Cuba. Today, most Cubans are too young to remember the revolution. Far fewer can look back to the nineteen thirties and forties—to what it was like before. In Island of Memory, Roberto Diego López tells about growing up in Cuba during that time. It's a personal story that reflects the strength of Cuban family life; the central role of the Catholic church; and the lively, colorful, and quirky personalities that inhabited his Havana.

López grew up in a large, tight-knit family with more than a few strong personalities. He was schooled and shaped by the stalwart, no-nonsense La Salle brothers. And he was fascinated by the people of Havana—from the carboneros who delivered coal in mule-drawn wagons to the salesmen who jumped on moving streetcars to sell newspapers, magazines, lottery tickets, peanuts and sweets. They would exit from the aft platform "lithe as cats ... often on just one foot but in perfect balance and quite stationary." He fondly recalls Alejandro who sold tamales, empanadas and sweets in the street outside his home; Antonio, who came to paint one room and stayed for months; and Pedro, an artisan in wood, and an expert in pigeons.

In vignettes between the chapters of his own tale, López vividly describes Cuba's tropical, constantly changing weather ... the teeming streets ... the exhilarated crowds at baseball games ... the ritual activity and beauty of Holy Week.